Accelerator holding device



@et 99 1956 A. J. FRANCIS, JR 2,765,571

CCELERATOR HOLDING DEVICE Filed March 27, 1955 @qvromosvf ACCELERATR HOLDING DEVlCE Andrew J. Francis, Jr., Rockford, Ill., assigner to Dixon Research, inc., Rockford, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application March 27, 1953, Serial No. S45/,121i

4 Claims. (Cl. 74-513) This invention relates to a device adapted to be connected to the throttle `actuating mechanism of Ian automobile or `other vehicle and operable selectively to hold the accelerator foot pedal thereof in a depressed position against the `action Iof its return spring to permit the driver `to remove the pressure of his right foot Ifrom the pedal and thereby relieve fatigue in his right leg while maintaining a constant speed of the vehicle.

One object of the invention is `to construct a device of the above character in -a novel manner to facilitate its activation by an 'actuator at a point remote from the accelerator rpedal and lto insure release of the pedal by the device when the driver desires to resume control of the pedal with his right foot.

Another `object is to achieve the :foregoing object through the provision of a novel electromagnetic frictional gripping device which may be activated through a simple electrical connection with the actuator at the remote point and which has few relatively movable parts liable to bind and prevent release of the pedal.

A further `object is to construct the electromagnetic device in a novel manner for energization in response to pressure of the drivers left foot on the lactuator and deenergization in response to removal of such pressure.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a perspective View of an electromagnetic clamping device and its actuator embodying the novel features of the present invention and shown -in their relation to the operating pedals of a vehicle.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of [the clamping device with some of the parts broken away.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along `the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a wiring diagram of .the energizing circuit for the winding of the electromagnet.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of `the lactuator with some parts broken away.

Fig. 6 is a sectional View taken along the line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

The invention is shown in the drawings 'for purposes of illustration embodied i-n a holding device 10 which is operable selectively to hold the accelerator pedal 11 `of an automobile or other vehicle in a depressed position between the vehicle oorboard 12 and an upstanding released position shown in Fig. l. The pedal is `connected by a linkage 13 to the throttle (not shown) of the vehicle and is operable to open the throttle to accelerate the vehicle when moved away from its released position by pressure of the vehicle drivers right foot. A spring 14 `acting on the linkage yieldably urges .the pedal away from |the floorboard and into its released position.

Generally, 'the holding device 10 comprises a member 15 adapted to be connected to the accelerator pedal 11 for movement with the latter toward and Iaway from its released position and a clamping element 17 operable when activated `to hold `the member against movement relative to a stationary base 16. Through a connection 18 With the pedal, the member 15 holds the latter against the action of the spring 14 when the clamping element 1'7 is activated. In this instance, the base is a plate adapted to Ibe secured :as by screws 19 to the Vehicle iloorboard 12 and the member 15 isa grooved wheel or sheave rotatably mounted on `the base for movement toward and away from an inactive position shown in Fig. 2 corresponding to `the released position of the accelerator pedal. The wheel 15 is formed by `a ilat annular upper disk 21 and a second disk 22 secured lto the upper disk and having a hub 23 journaled on a stud 24 secured Ito and projecting perpendicularly from the upper si'de of the base plate.

To permit the accelerator pedal 11 t-o be moved downwardly beyond a depressed position for acceleration of the vehicle as in passing other vehicles and then to return to the same depressed position while the clamping element i-s activated, the connection 18 is Ian elongated iiexible element herein a chain. The llatter is secured at opposite ends :to the wheel 15 and t-o the free end of the pedal and is Wound around the periphery :of ythe wheel in a groove 25 defined by the outer peripheries of the disks. To take up slack in the chain, the wheel is urged away from its inactive position and in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 2 by `a spiral spring 27 -acting between a lug 2S bent up from the base plate 16 (Fig. 3) and a lug 29 bent down from the second disk. The spiral spring 27 is substantially weaker than the pedal return spring 14 to enable the pedal to return to its released position when the clamping element 17 is deactivated. An arcuate guide 31 rigid with a cover 32 for .the device 10 merges at its lower end with the groove and curves upwardly therefrom and toward ythe accelerator pedal to facilitate movement of the chain into and out of the groove.

In accordance with the present invention, the clamping element 17 is constructed in a novel manner to facilitate its actuation at a point remote from the accelerator pedal 11 and to insure proper release of the pedal by the holding device 10 so that the driver may resume full control of the pedal with his right foot when desired. For this purpose, the clamping element is an electromagnet operable when energized to apply a frictional gripping force for holding the wheel 15 against turning relative to the base and, when deenergized, to release such force. To reduce number of parts movable to eiect such clamping of the wheel, the magnet 77 preferably is secured rigidly to the stationary base 16 and is adapted for frictional gripping engagement directly with upper wheel disk 21 which thus constitutes the magnet armature.

In the present instance, the electromagnet comprises an annular core 33 of magnetic material of U-shaped cross section enclosing a multi-turned annular winding 34. Radially spaced pole pieces 35 of the core are concentric with the wheel axis and terminate in axially facing pole faces 36 adapted for frictional gripping engagement with radially spaced portions of the armature disk 21. The core is secured to the base plate 16 by the cover 32 which has an out-turned flange 3f] on its open end riveted to the base and whose bottom wall 33 fits against and is welded to the ring of magnetic material joining the inner ends of the pole pieces 35.

By using an electromagnet to produce the gripping force, it is possible to energize the holding device 10 through a simple electrical connection with an actuator 39 located at a point remote from the device such as on the vehicle iloorboard near the clutch pedal 40 for actuation by the drivers left foot. To effect such energization in response to a slight pressure of the drivers left foot and deenergization in response to removal of such pressure,

the actuator is preferably a normally open pressure responsive switch located in the energizing circuit for the coil 34. In this instance, the switch comprises a fixed contact 41 secured to and insulated from a base 42 adapted to rest on the vehicle floorboard 12 and a movable contact 43 in the form of a curved rectangular plate of resilient metal riveted at one end to the base and extending across but normally spaced above the fixed contact. A exible covering 44 secured around its periphery to the base 42 encloses the switch 39.

The energizing circuit for the coil 34 includes a conductor 45 connecting one terminal of the coil to one contact of the vehicle ignition switch 46 whose other terminal is connected to ground through the vehicle battery 47. A conductor 4S connects the other terminal of the coil to the tixed switch contact 41, the movable contact 43 being connected to ground through a conductor 49.

Assuming that the pressure responsive switch 39 is open so that the coil is deenergized, the wheel 15 may rotate in a counterclockwise direction from its inactive position as viewed in Fig. 2 under the action of its spring 27 to take up slack in the chain 18 as the pedal 11 is depressed. To energize the coil 34 and clamp the wheel against movement relative to the base, a slight downward pressure is exerted by the drivers left foot on the movable contact 43 to urge the latter into engagement with the tixed contact 41 thereby completing the coil circuit through the ignition switch 46 and the battery 47. This results in energization of the coil which produces a flux threading the magnetic circuit of the core 33 and the armature disk 21 and drawing the latter into frictional gripping engagement with the stationary pole faces 36 to hold the wheel against rotation. The pedal 11 is thus held against return to its released position until the pressure is released from the movable contact 43 to permit the latter to move away from the iixed contact 42 and open the switch thereby deenergizing the magnet and releasing the armature disk 21.

It will be apparent that energization of the novel electromagnetic holding device described above to hold the accelerator pedal 11 in a depressed position may be elected easily in response to only a light pressure of the drivers left foot suiiicient to close the switch 39. Since the only movable parts of the device are the switch contact 43 and the wheel 15 with its tiexible chain 18, there is little chance of the parts binding and thus interfering with proper release of the pedal when the pressure of the drivers left foot is removed from the movable switch contact. Such a small number of movable parts is made possible by mounting the magnet 17 stationarily and utilizing the wheel itself as the armature for the magnet. Due to its construction as a ring of U-shaped cross section, the magnet may be arranged compactly with the wheel and still provide suliicient torque to overcome the pedal return spring 14.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a device for holding a vehicle accelerator pedal in a depressed position, the combination of, a base adapted to be secured to the vehicle adjacent the accelerator actuating mechanism thereof, a tiat annular disk of magnetic material rotatably mounted on said base and having an outwardly and radially facing groove on its outer periphery, an elongated exible element secured at one end to said mechanism and at its other end to said disk and wound around the later in said groove, means yieldably urging said disk about its axis in a direction to wind up said element, a ring of magnetic material of U-shaped cross section secured rigidly to said base and having radially spaced pole pieces concentric with the axis of said disk and terminating adjacent the latter in axially facing pole faces adapted for frictional gripping engagement with the disk, a coil in said magnet ring operable when energized to produce a tlux threading said ring and said disk for drawing the latter into engagement with said pole faces, and means for energizing said coil including a switch located remotely from the coil.

2. In a device for holding a vehicle accelerator pedal in a depressed position, the combination of, a base adapted to be secured to the vehicle adjacent the accelerator actuating mechanism thereof, a magnet member having an annular coil and an annular ring of magnetic material of U-shaped cross section surrounding the coil and having radially spaced concentric pole pieces terminating in axially facing pole faces, an armature memy ber comprising a fiat ring of magnetic material concentric with said magnet ring and spanning said pole faces for frictional gripping enf'agement therewith when said coil is energized, means securing one of said members rigidly to said base and mounting the other member on the base for rotation about the axis of the members and toward and away from an inactive position, said other member having a connection with said accelerator actuating mechanism for movement of the member away from said active position in the movement of the accelerator pedal away from its released position and toward a depressed position, and means for energizing said coil including a switch located remotely from the coil and the accelerator pedal.

3. in a device for holding an automobile accelerator pedal in a depressed position, the combination of, a base adapted to be mounted stationarily adjacent the accelerator pedal, a member mounted on said base for movement back and forth toward and away from an inactive position and adapted to be connected to the accelerator pedal for movement away from the inactive position when the pedal is moved away from its released position and toward a depressed position, an electromagnetic friction clamp on said base operable when energized to hold said member against movement relative to the base and the accelerator pedal in said depressed position, a normally open switch operable when closed to complete an energizing circuit for said clamp and positioned remotely from said base, an actuator for said switch movable toward and away from an active position in which the switch is closed, and means yieldably urging said actuator away from its active position.

4. In a device for holding an automobile accelerator pedal in a depressed position, the combination of, a base adapted to be mounted stationarily adjacent the accelerator pedal, a member mounted on said base for movement back and forth toward and away from an inactive position and adapted to be connected to the accelerator pedal for movement away from the inactive position when the pedal is moved away from its released position and toward a depressed position, an electromagnetic friction clamp on said base operable when energized to hold said member against movement relative to the base and the accelerator pedal in said depressed position, and a normally open pressure responsive switch located in the energizing circuit for said clamp and operable when pressure is applied thereto to complete the circuit for energizing the clamp and, when such pressure is released, to break the circuit and deenergize the clamp.

References Cited in the tile of this patent Munson May 12, 1953 

